I agree that the TV did seem to be a symbol for “it’s not ok to be alone” but I also saw more in the scene to note on. In her reflection, she looked at herself, (i liked that reflection was used several times in the film) she seemed to be both picturing her life as an old widow ,with this new false friend, while also not seeing herself that way at all. She still had hope and knew she was a changed person since she met Ron and with or without him, so much that she never turned it on in that scene or after.
I really loved that the film was about a woman who transformed from a society type to one with her feet a little closer to the ground. She started to see people for what they really were thanks to Ron and let herself believe she was worth love and being loved, whether or not it was by someone younger and of a different “social class”.
Ron was an amazing character too, mostly because I am such a huge fan of Thoreau. He was someone that Cary admired and was curious about. It seemed after the death of her husband, she realized she had never gotten to know who she was or what she really wanted. She has always done everything for her family and been who her husband; kids and “friends” wanted her to be. By the end of the film I was pretty happy for everyone, something I didn’t expect at all by Cary’s attitude at the beginning of the film. She was still in the early stages of shedding her snobbery for a while but I was glad to see her separate herself from the horrible people at the cocktail party.
As far as mise-en-scene , I saw it pretty often. My two favorite parts were the scene with the screen between Cary and her son when they argued; a division between family but still semi transparent, just as his motives were and his love for her at that moment. Both of her kids were kind of spoiled little socialites in the making themselves. It was heartbreaking to find out that her kids were just throwing selfish fits and soon enough got over it, leaving her to have made a horrible decision for their sake. My other favorite scene was at the very end with the deer in the window, a sort of beginning to their blissfully simple Walden quality life to come.
Walden is my bible too.
